SHEPSHED’S two youth groups successfully cleared up a messy part of the town with help from the local community earlier this month.

SHEPSHED’S two youth groupssuccessfully cleared up a messy part of the town with help from the local community earlier this month.

Shepshed Youth Centre, based at Hind Leys College campus, and Passion, based in the Bull Ring, and Pcsos Kelly Fowkes and Damien Hyatt came together for a big litter pick around Butt Hole Lane, joined by around 24 members of the public of all ages.

Soroya MacDonald, youth development worker for Shepshed Youth Centre, said: “We collected over 12 bags of rubbish. The strangest was a fold-up chair with a heart-shaped back.

“It was good for us and Passion and the police to all do something together and I liked the way the young people mixed with us. I would like to say a great big thank you to everybody who took part, it was only a success because everyone got stuck in.

“I think it’simportant everybody works together to make Shepshed better, I think the young and old divide is too separate at the minute and there is little community spirit. It’s up to us to make it better.”

MadsMorgan, youth missioner for Passion, added: “I think it went really well, I was really pleased with the number of young people who came and they really got into the spirit of it. It was a hot sticky day and they did really well.”

Passionwill celebrate its first birthday this Sunday, June 19, starting with the opening of the new recording studio at 2pm and the centre will then be open to the public to have a look around until 4pm.

Therewill also be a community barbecue from 2.30pm on Glenmore Park with a bouncy castle and the local freerunning group will give a few demonstrations from 3pm-3.45pm.